The fact that Chaminade defeated archrival St. Anthony’s to win its third straight Class AAA Nassau-Suffolk CHSAA title was not a surprise.

But how the Flyers did it was.

Chaminade pulled away for a 15-7 win after the two teams alternated one-goal wins during the regular season with Chaminade winning 11-10 in mid-April and St. Anthony’s prevailing 11-10 in early May.

For a look at Chaminade’s chances of winning a fourth straight title, we turn to Matt Chmil.

The latest Chaminade standout bound for Duke, Chmil is a midfielder with athletic bloodlines. His father, Steve, was an infielder in the Atlanta Braves organization after starring for Vanderbilt University. His older brother, Stephen, was a four-year lacrosse standout at Brown, and his sister, Courtney, on the women’s team at Fairfield. His cousins — Michael, Greg and Stephen Peyser — all played at Johns Hopkins.

A two-way player, Matt Chmil is an outstanding dodger with strong stick skills who is strong with either hand.

Chaminade opens the 2016 season at home March 31 against St. Ignacius Prep (CA).

Now, here are Matt’s perspectives on the upcoming season.

What have you been doing to get ready for the season?
To get ready for the season, I’ve been working on both strength and speed/agility to improve my play on both sides of the field.

In addition, I attend winter workouts that help to improve stick skills and work on scheme.

How does your schedule look, what games are you looking forward to most, and who are some of your scrimmages against?
Our schedule is great this year, giving us the opportunity to face off against talented programs in St. Anthony’s, Delbarton, Manhasset, Yorktown, St. Ignatius, and more. Manhasset is an important game for us because the winner receives Reg’s Rock, a trophy in honor of Sgt. James J. Regan, a Chaminade Gold Star alum.

What players on your team do you think will surprise some people this season?
Some players on the team that will contribute sizably this season include returning starters Will Renz, Jack Zullo and Kyle Thornton.

Additional players that will surprise include Alex Alacqua and Frank Tangredi.

What do you think the strength of your team will be this year?
I think the strength of the team will be defined by solid play on both sides of the field starting with an offense with both outside and inside threats complemented by a disciplined defense directed by Jack Zullo in between the pipes. A downhill dodging midfield with an attack that can finish inside will help create an effective scoring unit.

How do you view the race in your league and who do you think some of the contending teams will be?
In our league, we always look forward to our great rivalry with St. Anthony’s, along with all other programs who have enough talent to pose a threat year in and year out. Our ultimate goal is to come out with a championship win, regardless of who it is against.

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